Motorcycle back-riding allowed starting today, but only for couples

MANILA: The IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) has permitted couples to ride together on a motorcycle starting today, June 10, but details are sketchy at best.

In an interview yesterday, DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) Secretary Eduardo Año made the announcement and also stressed that both rider and passenger will still need to wear masks and crash helmets.

"Yes, simula bukas ay papayagan na natin yung back-riding para sa mga couple (Yes, starting tomorrow (Friday), we will allow back-riding for couples), At the same time, kailangan mag-wear pa rin ng mask at saka ng crash helmet 'yung ating passenger at rider (The passenger and rider should still wear masks and crash helmets)," stressed Año.

Couples will be classified as those living in the same household, whether married or common law husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, but they should be able to present an ID with the same surname. If they don’t have the same surname, at least have the same home address on the ID.

"So, there are so many ways para mapatunayan na (to prove that) they are living in the same house," Año added.

However, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s interpretation was much more rigid. “Limitado pa rin po siya sa mga mag-asawa (It will be limited for married couples),” said Roque.

Roque’s advice is for the couple to bring and ID, plus a photocopy of their marriage certificate, and to install a barrier with handles on each side between driver and back-rider.

“Basta may (As long as there is a) shield, wala pong (there will be no) objection,” added Roque.

The JTF CV Shield (Joint Task Force COVID Shield) is now crafting precise guidelines on motorcycle back-riding for couples.

“They would do every alibi that they can think of just to circumvent the rules even if they are fully aware that what they are doing is wrong,” said JTF CV Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

Police and its multipliers are directed to check all motorcycles passing quarantine control points to make sure that the driver and back-rider are a legit couple.

“But in busy roads when the checking would cause traffic jams, they would be allowed to pass unchecked but would be subjected to random inspection at the mobile checkpoints that would be set up by the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (HPG),” added Eleazar.

HPG (Highway Patrol Group) director Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz will also deploy personnel tasked to conduct inspections at random mobile checkpoints in Metro Manila.

Motorcycle riders and passengers are advised to ready their identification documents, including marriage certificates, to prove that they are a couple to facilitate their exit at quarantine control points.

Photo from the Department of Transportation Viber page, courtesy of Robertzon Ramirez

Also read: Gov’t to allow motorcycle backriding pending IATF protocols